IN SEASON

IN SEASON FRUITS of Their Labor

THE DUO BEHIND MIAMI FRUIT OFFERS RARE TROPICAL TREATS THAT ARE GOOD (AND GOOD FOR YOU )

By Kristen Desmond LeFevre

CHERIMOYA:

“Delicious and creamy, this fruit can be chilled and eaten with a spoon, which has earned it the nickname of the ice cream fruit.”

CUSTARD APPLE:

“Sweet and custardy with rich and unique fl avors ranging from raspberry to sweet vanilla.” DRAGON FRUIT: “This fruit’s texture is similar to a kiwi because of its black, crunchy seeds.” JACKFRUIT: “Unripe jackfruit makes an excellent meat replacement. When ripe, the fl avor is very sweet and fl avorful, similar to Juicy Fruit gum.”

MAMEY SAPOTE:

“The fl avor is comparable to a sweet potato mixed with pumpkin pie, and it has a texture similar to an avocado when ripe.”

There’s nothing like biting into a fresh piece of ripe tropical fruit. It’s not a rare experience for Miamians. But let’s say you live someplace where it’s not so easy to hold an edible piece of sunshine—like a cherimoya, a passion fruit, or a sapodilla—in your hand.

Enter Rane Roatta, co-owner of Miami Fruit. Working as a professional saxophonist wasn’t enough to pay the bills, so he started a side gig in 2015: picking up fruit from farms to sell at Miami markets. RARE, RIPE, AND READYWhen his bike became overladen with fruit, Roatta bought a FRUITS TO FAWN OVER IN MAY & JUNE:car. When his car broke down, he bought a van.

Roatta began posting his pastime to social media, and ROSE APPLE: “This apple people took notice. “On top of the stand we were running, out- is sweet and tart in fl avor, of-towners started asking me to send them fruit to New York like pink lemonade.” and Wisconsin and all over the place—and then they told their friends. Before I knew it, I was the fruit guy on Facebook and I couldn’t keep up with the messages.” SAPODILLA: “With a sweet, malty

Roatta turned to his partner, Edelle Schlegel, for help. She fl avor, this is sometimes created a website and Instagram account for Miami Fruit, and called the brown sugar eventually the pair bought a seven-acre fruit farm where they fruit for its sweet, brown, experiment with varieties that aren’t available at supermarkets. grainy fl esh.” “It’s really special to have customers who email us and say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I haven’t had this fruit since I was a kid at my SPROUTED COCONUT: “Crack the grandma’s house,’” Roatta says. shell open to fi nd a big spongy mass

Pre-pandemic, Miami locals could snag Roatta and Schlethat can have a fl avor profi le ranging gel’s wares weekly from Fairchild Market (stay tuned to their from sweet and juicy to social media accounts for plans to reintroduce in-person pick salty and savory—with ups), while customers as far away as Canada can receive boxes a texture akin to cotton shipped on demand or via subscription. But no matter where candy or sponge cake.” Miami Fruit’s customers are located, the DMs and emails pour in, praising the taste of a batch of rose apples or fawning over the experience of trying white sapote for the fi rst time. Roatta

SOURSOP (GUANA-

says he gets a sense of pride from introducing customers to BANA): “This fruit’s new types of fruit. It’s his way, he says, of sharing a little bit of fl avor is a combo sunshine, one piece of fruit at a time. (miamifruit.com) of strawberry and pineapple, with sour citrus notes contrasting with an underlying creaminess reminiscent of coconut or banana.” WHITE SAPOTE: “Creamy and custard-like, the fl avor has hints of peach, pear, lemon, banana, caramel, melon, mint, and vanilla.”

tard-like, the fl avor has hints of peach,